Tips for Cooking with Fresh Herbs

We all know that herbs can add a lot of flavor to any dish. They are also great for those people who are trying to decrease their sodium intake. Let the herbs add the flavor rather than a lot of salt. In addition, herbs actually do contain some nutrients, so they are good for us. Most people buy dried herbs at their local grocery store; however, more and more people are starting to grow their own herb gardens and like the idea of using fresh herbs in their culinary delights. Cooking with fresh herbs, however, is not the same as cooking with dried herbs. You can often just add your dried herbs to your dish at the time of preparation. Such is not always true with fresh herbs. The flavor from fresh herbs comes from the essential oils that are released. These oils are volatile and can quickly evaporate with heat, which means that long cooking periods can destroy the flavor, especially when dealing with more delicate herbs. Here are some guidelines for cooking with fresh herbs:

Pick as needed
If you have your own herb garden, pick your herbs as you need them. If I am making several dishes requiring several different herbs or lots of one or two varieties that need to be added at different times, I will often place them in a glass of water to keep them fresh. This way I do not have to keep running in and out of the house.

Handling store bought herbs
If you buy fresh herbs at the market, store them in the refrigerator until ready for use. Most of these herbs come in their own plastic bags or clear plastic boxes, which is perfectly fine for storage. You can also store them in a plastic sandwich bags. Be sure to put them in the refrigerator, however, so they will not dry out.

Chop, tear, or snip
Most recipes call for chopped herbs. Some cooks, however, feel that chopping can actually damage the flavor of some herbs, especially basil, and, therefore, prefer to tear up their herbs. I have never noticed that chopping harms the flavor. I also will often use my kitchen scissors to snip herbs into small pieces directly into whatever dish I am preparing.

When to add to your dish
As previously mentioned, most fresh herbs will lose their flavor if subjected to long cooking periods. This is especially true of more delicately flavored herbs, such as chervil, dill, and sweet marjoram. A good rule of thumb is to add these types of herbs during the last 10-15 minutes of the cooking time. There are other herbs, however, that are hardier and can be added at the beginning of the cooking process. Such herbs include oregano, rosemary, and thyme. In fact, I have found that adding these herbs earlier in the cooking process actually enhances the flavor.

Cooking with fresh herbs brings a lot to a meal. Remember, though, that dried herbs tend to be stronger in flavor than fresh, which means that you will find yourself using more of the fresh herb than you would the dried. Do, however, be careful with very potent fresh herbs, such as rosemary and oregano. A little of these often go a long way.

References:

Kowalchik, Claire, and William H. Hylton, eds. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1998.

Kruger, Anna. An Illustrated Guide to Herbs, Their Medicine and Magic. Surrey, Great Britain: Dragon's World Ltd., 1993.